Hobby: yeah, cats kill for fun, it's true. And they kill rats and mice for fun only when they like it. Dogs kill cats for fun too, they don't eat them. It's disturbing for us to see a dog killing a cat just for the sake of it and a cat killing a cute bird without any intention to eat them. But if you pay attention, both cats and dogs normally do it for us. Both dogs and cats feel they should give us a present from time to time, but they don't fully understand our concept of "present", so they give us what they think it's cool to give. I had both dogs and cats (I love cats, but as I said I love dogs too), and I remember how some of them used to leave these grotesque gifts by the house's door. I don't think humans are particularly bad with dogs. In fact, dogs are almost universally considered man's best friends. The problem is that dogs get so attached to their "owners" (I'm using the legal term here) that they get depressed (some breeds even suicidal) when their human companion leaves for a while, or dies. Of course that's a beautiful thing, that really makes me love dogs, but as I said, I feel for them, because many owners just don't deserve that. Cats match my idea of human-animal relationship: they live with us, eat our food, show their love in their own particular way (some cats can be just as affectionate and loyal as dogs, believe me), but in the end they retain a lifestyle of freedom and keep living like the hunters they are. Hobby, I am not a cat-lover, I am an animal rights advocate. But the fact that I'm vegetarian, for example, doesn't make me think that my cat (or you, for that sake) should be too. I just do what I think is right, and expect people to act using common sense. Cats, like many other animals, were introduced to Australia by humans, and you're right when you say that humans are supposed to take their responsibilities, as I doubt cats ever asked for it. Just don't expect them to change behaviour, though. And believe me: no species would face extinction because of cats or dogs, I am quite confident in saying this. To end this long post: the reason why I got so heated up is that your logics reminded me about the ones used by a friend's neighbour, when he was asked to explain why he poisoned my friend's 2 cats.
Joy: thank you, you just won... a cat :)